Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has defied the critics and looks set to scrape home for a second term in office after voters were not convinced to switch to the Liberal National Party and Tim Nicholls in Saturday's state election.

But with 14 seats remaining in doubt on Saturday night, the final result could take up to a week.

With about 56 per cent of the total vote counted, ABC election analyst Antony Green had the ALP on 40 seats and the LNP on 37 seats, with 47 seats needed to form majority government in the new 93 seat parliament.

The other big fizzer of the Queensland vote was Pauline Hanson's One Nation party which polled only 13 per cent - well down of the 20 per cent it had polled early in the campaign - and not enough to win any seats.

One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson and One Nation Queensland Leader Steve Dickson, who lost his seat.
Fairfax Media

Late on Saturday night, Ms Palaszczuk told supporters although the final vote was close she believed Labor would be able to form majority government.

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"I always said the election campaign was like climbing Mount Everest. We're near the summit but we're not quite there," she told ALP supporters at Oxley Bowls Club in Brisbane's western suburbs.

"I remain confident we can form majority government once all the votes are counted."

ALP president John Battams said he had been told by party strategists they believed they were ahead in six of the 14 seats in doubt.

"I would rather be in our position, than their [LNP] position," he said.

Jackie Trad faced a strong Greens vote in the Qld election to keep her seat.

Mr Nicholls, who spoke to supporters just before 11pm on Saturday night but did not concede defeat, said it was clear Ms Palaszczuk and ALP could not form government in their own right, saying 360,000 postal votes could go their way.

"What is abundantly clears is Queenslanders have voted to shake things up and the Premier does not have a majority in her own right. But let's be realistic, neither do we," he said.

"The results reflect Queenslanders are sick of the same old politics. And as I've always said, I understand your frustrations."

He vowed to hold Ms Palaszczuk to her pre-election promise not to do deals with any minor parties including the Katter's Australian Party.

Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls is surrounded by anti Adani protestors as he arrives to vote at St John Anglican Church in Hendra in his electorate of Clayfield.
Tracey Nearmy

"I've always said I wil respect the will and vote of the people. The real question is wil Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor keep their word and not do any deals."

The LNP also looked set to lose high-profile MP and shadow treasurer Scott Emerson. Mr Emerson, whose electorate received a major shake-up in the electoral distribution earlier this year, won 40 per cent of the primary vote, but Green preferences pushed Labor's candidate Ali King (who only won 28 per cent of first preference vote) into first place.

Former LNP deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said Labor's campaign linking Mr Nicholls with the divisive former LNP premier Campbell Newman had helped them win a second term in office.

"It was a factor," he said.

The mood was buoyant at the ALP party at Oxley Golf Club in Brisbane's western suburbs as early voting confirmed opinion polls that Labor was heading for victory.

"At the end of the day, Queenslanders respected the job we have been doing - not selling assets and putting on more nurses and teachers," Mr Battams said.

Ms Trad told supporters in South Brisbane the results in some seats, including her own, may not be decided for days.

"There is still quite a number of seats that are yet to be decided, but it is clear Quenslanders put a number one in front of stability and decency rather than cuts and chaos [of the LNP]," she said.

She said the Greens had thrown a lot of money and run a very aggressive campaign to win her seat, but she was not conceding defeat just yet.

There was a sombre mood for the 100 supporters at the LNP function at a small function room at the Novotel in Brisbane's CBD.

Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the ALP had "got away with a lot" during the 28-day campaign.

"I think Tim ran a very professional campaign and he has established himself as one of the great potential premiers of Queensland," Mr Dutton said.

"I wouldn't write him off. Queensland is in neutral and I don't know hong long people will stand that"Mr Nicholls' parents, Barbara and Tim, said they had been up since 4am putting on LNP banners outside the Ascot State School in their son's Clayfield electorate."If presentation was a determinant of this election daylight would have been second to us," Barbara Nicholls said.

"I've been anxious for about a month. But I won't be disappointed in tim if he loses"